Greenleaf
by Coqui's Song
Summary: Newleaf leads a wonderful, relaxed life as a loner. But when Darkwing finds her, she's whisked back into Clan life, searching. But what they find is not what they seek. A sequel to Newleaf.
1. Prologue

**I'm back and better than ever. I think. Not sure. Maybe I'm exactly the same. After all, it's only been like a week and a half. *scratches head* I think I'm the same. Anyways, back on topic... Here's the prologue of Greenleaf, Newleaf's next adventure. :)**

_Greenleaf_

A Sequel to _Newleaf_

By: _Coqui's Song_

Prologue

_The night was quiet, save for _the rasped coughs and sneezes that echoed throughout the ShadowClan camp. The stars shone coldly in the dark night sky, the moonlight illuminating the camp slightly.

The leader's den was dark, the moonlight only picking out the two cats' silhouettes.

The small tabby medicine cat pressed against his leader, who was too weak now even to cough. "Nightstar," he whispered, but the elderly black tom cut him off.

"Why are you here, Runningnose?" the ShadowClan leader's voice was just barely a growl. Nightstar feebly attempted to stand, but his energy was completely drained so he collapsed back down again. "You should not be trying to heal me. You should be trying to heal _them_," Nightstar wheezed, flicking his tail at the outside of his den.

"Nightstar," the medicine cat meowed sternly, "you are very ill. More ill than any cat in the Clan. I must try to help you."

"More ill?" asked Nightstar. "Then why are so many of my Clan dying? No, Runningnose, you should be putting the Clan before me, as I am doing now."

"You only have one life," Runningnose hissed in reminder to his leader.

"Which is no less than any of my Clan," the ShadowClan leader mewed. "StarClan still gave me my name. I am still leader; I am still your leader. Heal _them_, not me!"

As ill as he was, Nightstar put such force into those words, Runningnose flinched. The medicine cat dipped his head respectfully to his leader. Ever since he'd received that omen a few nights ago, he'd been trying his very hardest to cure his leader of the strange sickness in an attempt to delay the prophecy. But Nightstar kept refusing his herbs, telling the medicine cat to instead cure the rest of the Clan. Runningnose sighed as he realized the ShadowClan leader wouldn't take no for an answer. "Very well, Nightstar."

**Ω Ω Ω**

Darkwing swallowed back the irritable tickling in his throat, trying to ignore the soreness of it, the burning he felt that could not be relieved. He knew he was getting sick, he knew, and yet he did not ask the medicine cat for herbs. Runningnose was far too occupied helping heal Nightstar, anyway.

Darkwing pondered this, and the fact that Whitethroat and Littlecloud had abandoned the Clan in this time of great need. _Littlecloud did not abandon ShadowClan_, he told himself sternly. He went to seek healing herbs and food, for though it was greenleaf, and the forest should be teeming with prey, the disease that spread throughout ShadowClan was impacting even the prey they caught.

He thought of the omen Runningnose had interpreted a few nights ago, and wondered how Nightstar could lead ShadowClan to greatness if he was so sick. _He will get better, _he tried to reassure himself. _He _must_ get better._ But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed impossible. If Runningnose hadn't found a remedy by now, there was no cure, surely? The black warrior tried to shake off these despairing thoughts. Of course Runningnose would find a cure.

The sun had no warmth, no shine on ShadowClan recently, and Darkwing fixed his gaze to the stars. _Why won't you help us, StarClan?_

There was no answer from the small beams of white light above, dotting the black night sky.

Fur brushed his pelt, and he glanced at a pretty dark brown tabby she-cat. He growled at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I am still a ShadowClan cat," she defended herself, her voice raspy. She was beginning get sick as well. "I always have been. I never left. I may have sided with Brokenstar once, but I see sense now. _You_ helped me see sense."

The dark black warrior looked away, pelt prickling. He didn't like Marshypool, not after he had found out she'd betrayed him and his friends. But what the tabby she-cat had said was true –these past few moons after… Newleaf had left, she had been agreeable.

But he still didn't trust Marshypool. He doubted Newleaf would either.

"She was a good cat," said the pretty tabby after a long time of awkward silence, seeming to know who he was thinking of. "She wouldn't take the easy way out, she never compromised her beliefs. That helped me understand that some parts of the Code can conflict with the others, and some are more important than the rest."

He nodded, agreeing, and lay down, stretching his forelegs in front of him.

"I'm sorry what I did to you," she continued, laying down next to him and staring deeply into his dark eyes, which made his pelt bristle uneasily again. "All of you. But I'm not asking for you to trust me; I'm asking you to _try_."

Darkwing nodded again, breaking eye contact. "I will try," he promised, "but I may not be able to. You were my friend."

"I was her friend too," she pointed out. "Do you think she would trust me now?"

He shook his head. "I doubt it very much."

Marshypool sighed and gazed upward at the stars. "Where do you think she is?"

He relaxed and fixed his gaze back on the dark night sky. "I'm not sure. She couldn't have gone far, don't you think so? ShadowClan will always be part of her."

The dark brown tabby nodded in agreement. "And she will always be part of ShadowClan, no matter what she may think. Taking the cat out of ShadowClan doesn't make her any less a ShadowClan cat."

"She would never abandon ShadowClan when it was in need," he continued, nodding and warming to an idea that had crossed his mind often since the sickness had spread and even before that, in the days when she had only just left, in leaf-bare. "She would stick right by it, and make sure she saw it through to the end."

Marshypool glanced at him, her gray eyes suspicious. "You can't be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"Maybe I am," he sighed. The ache in his heart sharpened as he remembered her, and he looked away, his long black tail brushing fallen leaves lightly. "She needs to be here, in ShadowClan, where she was born."

"She chose to leave," Marshypool pointed out sternly, her fur beginning to bristle. "It wasn't your fault. Her heart wasn't into being a warrior anymore. Do you really think she would come back?"

"Yes," he mewed quietly, "I do. And if Nightstar really is on his way to StarClan, she would want to say her last farewell to her father."

"Please, don't be mouse-brained," the tabby rolled her eyes, struggling not to cough. "We're all ill. You will be too, in a matter of days. What if you don't find her, and you die?"

"Like I said, she couldn't have gone too far." Darkwing heaved himself up to his paws and stretched, his young, hard muscles rippling smoothly underneath his silky black pelt. He was still well enough to take on this new challenge. "I'm going, and you can't stop me."

He raised his head to Silverpelt above, his still-healthy dark blue eyes gleaming with the reflection of its light. The moonlight caught on his black fur, making it glow darkly, as if shadows were coming alive in his pelt. He had to find her. Because as long as ShadowClan not only had faith in StarClan, but had her support as well, they had hope. And it was time to bring the light of hope back to ShadowClan. "I'm going to find Newleaf."

**A few notes: 1) I will be switching POVs. You'll see both Newleaf and Darkwing's POV. Isn't that great? 2) Yes, this takes place in Rising Storm/A Dangerous Path. 3) There will be romance. Not enough to make it a romance fic, but enough to please you romance crazy readers I have. 4) Know how I was evil in Newleaf, giving you so many cliffhangers and generally just being mean to you poor readers/reviewers? Yeah, I'm going to be the same, or even worse. Muhahahahaha!**

**Review?**

_**~Coqui's Song** _


	2. Dreams

**So, late update, I know. Sorry. I was busy rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting this chapter. I'm finally satisfied with it. But I might rewrite it again. XD Anyway... 12 reviews just for the prologue! I'm feeling amazed by this, so I'm hoping this is a good start. **

**Thank you: Icethroat21, Queen Of The Pens, TheVampLuvr1, Before The Winter's Dawn, Koraki, tufted titmouse, S. Elise, Pencil37, SilverWolf716, PurpleVNeck, Veni0Vedi0Vici, and Daystar! You all get Newleaf plushies!**

Chapter One

_Newleaf_

_The hot sunlight filtered through the _branches of her den, and she blinked as she woke. She purred as she stretched luxuriously. She'd woken late again, but she didn't care. She was a loner now. It wasn't as if Newleaf had to go on patrols anymore.

She rose from her nest and padded out into the sun, feeling its warmth caress her fur. This greanleaf was hotter than the last, and as Newleaf gazed up into the trees she realized some of the leaves were becoming brown and shriveled. It hadn't rained for several moons. Newleaf hoped that StarClan would send rain soon.

She caught scent of a mouse and twitched her whiskers eagerly. The forest here was filled with prey, though at first it'd been difficult to catch ThunderClan prey such as birds or squirrels. She'd gotten used to it with a bit of help from her new friend Ravenpaw.

Newleaf remembered how they'd met. She'd left ShadowClan territory and crossed the Thunderpath, taking the shortcut to the Moonstone that Darkwing had discovered so long ago, when they were apprentices, running away from Tigerclaw. Newleaf had raced past the Moonstone and caught a fresh scent of another cat. She decided to follow it and had found a black loner drinking water from a stream.

"Who are you?" Newleaf had asked him.

The black tom looked up, amber eyes wide, but friendliness burned deep within his eyes. "I'm Ravenpaw."

"Ravenpaw?" she gazed at him. This cat was a Clan cat?

"Yes," he mewed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Newleaf," she said, tipping her head to the side thoughtfully. He was larger than the average apprentice, but smaller than a warrior. His black pelt was sleek, and a very faint scent of ThunderClan came from underneath the smell of hay. Then it hit her. Where had she heard the name Ravenpaw before? At her first Gathering. He'd told a story about ThunderClan winning Sunningrocks from RiverClan. But why had he left ThunderClan?

Before she could speak, however, Ravenpaw asked, "What are you doing here, so far from ShadowClan territory?" Obviously he'd caught her ShadowClan scent, which was still fresh.

"I left," she had explained. "Just like you, I suppose. Nightstar wanted to expand his territory, and I was against it. I went too far, I guess, when I told him he was just like Brokenstar." She chuckled, shaking her head. "I didn't want any part of it, so I left."

"You just left?" Ravenpaw sounded slightly irritated. "Just for that? What sort of loyalty is that?"

Newleaf flattened her ears and hissed, her fur beginning to bristle. "I offended my own father! I left because my heart told me to! If you think that's wrong, then why did you leave ThunderClan?"

"I had to!" Ravenpaw had exclaimed. "Tigerclaw would've killed me!"

She hesitated, her fur flattening, her anger melting away. "Tigerclaw? He tried to kill me twice."

He'd eyed her warily. "What do you mean?"

Newleaf told him everything that had happened to her in her short life, and Ravenpaw joked, "No wonder you left."

Then he'd told Newleaf all that he'd been through, watching Tigerclaw murder Redtail at the battle at Sunningrocks and fearing his death each day until Fireheart and Graystripe helped him run away. Hearing Ravenpaw's story automatically made Newleaf want to do something about the ThunderClan deputy and feel a bit guilty about leaving the Clans, but there was nothing she could do, especially because he was in ThunderClan, and she wasn't even a ShadowClan cat anymore.

Now Newleaf itched to see her friend again. They didn't live so far away from each other; all she had to do was cross the Thunderpath and go to the barn where Ravenpaw and Barley lived. She lived not far past the Moonstone, where the hard rocks began to thin and a thick forest reached up into the sky. Mountains as tall as the sky were only a two-day journey away, though Newleaf never dared to climb them, only stayed near the base of a mountain, gazing up at it in awe.

The scent of mouse was overpowering, and her tail twitched in the excitement of the hunt as she practically glided over the leaves. There was no wind, and the lack of a cool breeze only made the day hotter. Newleaf was almost upon it, and she paused, calculating the distance she would have to pounce to catch the mouse. She gathered her hindquarters as Ravenpaw showed her and leapt. She cursed as her hind paw got caught on a tree root. The mouse squeaked with surprise and quickly scurried away. Pure instinct made Newleaf's forepaw dart forward, trying to trap the mouse in her sharp claws, but it was too late. She'd missed.

Newleaf shook her hind paw and checked that it was uninjured. She slowly became irritated that she hadn't caught anything so far. The Moonstone Forest, as she'd begun to call it, was filled with juicy prey, but she though she'd gotten used to hunting with ThunderClan techniques, it didn't mean she was a good hunter. She was too used to pines and marshes, but in this area, the few pine trees lay near the mountains and there were no marshes whatsoever.

Lashing her tail in frustration, she decided to ease her urge to visit Ravenpaw while getting some easy prey as well, and set out for the Thunderpath. Newleaf recoiled as she suddenly tasted the revolting scent of the Thunderpath in the air, accompanied by the loud rush of monsters racing through the stone path.

She waited until the roar of monsters was dull and muted, then she sped across the Thunderpath, curling her lip in disgust at the scent. Even with the terrible stench of the path, she was grateful for the wind that the speeding monsters stirred up. At least it cooled her a little.

Newleaf bounded to the barn and greeted the two friendly loners.

Ravenpaw pricked his ears and he stood from where he'd been laying down, high up, on a hay stack. "Newleaf! We weren't expecting you today!"

Barley leaped down to the ground and glanced above him at the black tom. "You know Newleaf," he teased. "She drops in when we least expect it."

"I shouldn't be expecting her in this heat!" Ravenpaw defended himself, his amber eyes gleaming with amusement.

She scoffed. "I hope you don't mind if I pick off a few mice," she mewed, eyeing a hay stack where the straws twitched. "I'm starving."

Ravenpaw nodded. "Go ahead. In this heat, Barley and I are too lazy to hunt." He jumped down, landing next to Newleaf. The former ThunderClan cat shook his black pelt and turned to lick his shoulder with quick laps.

Newleaf pounced and killed a mouse instantly. In Ravenpaw and Barley's barn, the mice were such easy pickings, she wondered if they were more stupid than forest mice. She ate the mouse in quick gulps. Once she finished, she swiped her tongue across her lips to taste the last of the meat.

"So what brings you here?" asked Ravenpaw.

She frowned. "I'm not quite sure, exactly. I was hungry, so I thought I'd come here to catch some easy prey, but I suppose I also just wanted to come here to talk with you. I'm not sure why, or about what."

_I think you know, Newleaf, _whispered Squirrelpaw's voice suddenly, and Newleaf jumped at her sister's sudden appearance in her mind.

Ravenpaw pricked his ears. "Are you okay?"

She nodded silently and concentrated on Squirrelpaw's words.

_You mean… my recent dreams? _Newleaf asked her sister shakily. Lately Newleaf had been plagued with nightmares about her old life in ShadowClan, as well as new threats which made her freeze with fear, listening to her friends' cries of agony yet unable to do anything for them. Not only her nightmares, but the familiar urge to do right had set in, but she hated that the choices were clouded from her.

Squirrelpaw didn't reply. She didn't need to. The answer was obvious.

Newleaf focused her blue eyes on Ravenpaw and mewed, "Can we go out for a walk? I need to talk to you."

"You finally worked it out, yes?" he teased, and she shrugged.

She called out to Barley that they were leaving, and the black-and-white tom twitched his whiskers, saying in amusement that he would look forward to sleeping without the two young cats' constant chatter.

Once they were padding through Ravenpaw's small forest out of the barn, feeling the shade of the thick foliage cool her, she began. "I've been having nightmares."

Ravenpaw shrugged. "You have nightmares about Brokenstar all the time, especially when you just had run away. What makes these so different?"

"I'm not sure, really," she mewed. "It's just… Have you heard if ShadowClan is in trouble?"

The black loner shook his head. "I haven't heard of any trouble in any Clans." He paused, then continued. "Do you want to go back to ShadowClan, Newleaf? Is that why you wanted to speak with me?"

"Not at all!" she snapped, wondering why that question had been bothering Ravenpaw in the first place. Her paws shuffled on the ground, making dry leaves crunch under them. "I just don't know what to do about them."

Ravenpaw tipped his head in though. "Maybe you could go to the Moonstone and ask StarClan. Or maybe you have these dreams because you live so near the Moonstone."

"I don't know," she sighed, slowly shaking her head. "I feel like I should do something, but…"

"We'll figure it out," her friend said confidently, and Newleaf was grateful for his friendship. Even loners needed companionship. Especially if they'd once been living in large Clans.

She checked the sky. The sun was going down, its rays reaching up to the sky as if it didn't want to go under the earth. The moon sat on the opposite horizon, looking as if it were stalking prey. Sunset, her favorite time of day. Newleaf had to be getting back to her den by now. "I should go," she meowed. "Tell Barley I'll be back."

"When?" Ravenpaw asked.

Her eyes glittered with amusement, and she grinned at him. "When I feel like it!"

**Next chapter: Darkwing POV. I think I'll switch every other chapter, but I'm not sure.**

**tufted titmouse: Thank you! :)**

**Daystar:To be honest, I think it's worth it to review every story you like, complete or not. But thank you. Still, I don't know that this will be better than _Newleaf_. Well, the writing. But probably not the storyline. **

**Review, please?**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	3. Moonstone

**Okay, so I just felt like updating today. Why? Not a clue. This is the first chapter ever with Darkwing's POV. *is jumping up and down with excitement* I hope I don't disappoint. I wrote this all in one day, and I'm a bit proud of it. But I'm not sure if you guys will like it...**

**Thank you reviewers: Veni0Vidi0Vidi, Before The Winter's Dawn, TheVampLuvr1, SilverWolf716, tufted titmouse, S. Elise, Icethroat21, Queen Of The Pens, Daystar.**

Chapter Two

_Darkwing_

_Shadows flickered across his dark pelt _as he stumbled through ShadowClan territory, pausing every so often to scent the hot, humid air. At least the shade cooled his back and the marshes his paws. But all of her scent- it was completely gone. Faded, as if she'd never been in existence. _But she does exist_, he had to keep reminding himself. How could he think Newleaf was just a dream? She was as real as air. But right now, she was just as invisible.

Darkwing panted as he kept going, determination to save his Clan nudging him forward. He'd stayed two days in camp after he'd spoken with Marshypool. She'd told him sternly that if he truly was going to find Newleaf, he had to rest, or at least wait and see if Nightstar would get better. _A waste of time, _he thought angrily as he jumped over a particularly deep patch of marsh. Nightstar had only worsened with each passing day –and Darkwing had wasted precious time to find his friend, and he could feel himself becoming sick. He had asked Marshypool is she wanted to come with him, because he didn't particularly want to travel alone, but she'd opted to stay, saying she was _loyal _to ShadowClan.

_I _am_ loyal, _he thought stubbornly. _It is my loyalty to ShadowClan that I'm trying to find her. Just as Littlecloud and Whitethroat's loyalty are making them ask for herbs. _He realized this was exactly what Newleaf would say, and it confused him. Newleaf was loyal to her heart –that was why she left their Clan. But she was also loyal to the Clan she'd left behind. She just put her heart before her Clan.

Darkwing blinked as sunlight suddenly found him. He was at the spot where he'd watched Newleaf leave. He swallowed and trudged on despite not having a clue where she'd gone after she'd left his sight. Surely she wouldn't have been so stupid as to warn WindClan of their attack anyway? No, at ShadowClan and RiverClan's invasion, they had seemed unprepared, but they had called on reinforcements from ThunderClan. And WindClan, with ThunderClan, had won. It seemed Newleaf's prediction that Nightstar would lose the battle had been true –though he had no knowledge if StarClan had spoken to her and had told her that or if it was just a lucky guess.

"Darkwing!" yowled a young she-cat's voice, breaking into his thoughts, making him jump in surprise.

He turned to find his apprentice, Flamepaw, padding quickly toward him. Apparently Nightstar had thought he and Newleaf were too much alike not to take advantage of and given him Flamepaw, Foxfur's kit, as an apprentice. But all Darkwing had thought when she'd been apprenticed to him was, _Flamepaw should be Newleaf's apprentice. _

Darkwing was not completely like Newleaf. She was a rebel –feisty, impatient, sarcastic, restless, out-spoken. He was patient, calmer, less talkative, and yes, he admitted he could be a bit conceited at times. But not as often as Newleaf accused him of.

He shook these thoughts away and sighed, addressing his apprentice. "What is it, Flamepaw?"

"I want to go find Newleaf with you," said Flamepaw animatedly, the six moon old she-cat bouncing around him excitedly.

Annoyance prickled at his fur, but he knew he could blame her. Flamepaw could just barely remember his best friend, and whenever he tried to spring a comment to her about Newleaf, the red-furred apprentice would only look at him blankly with her eyes narrowed, and ask, "Really? My mother never told me that."

_I must've made Newleaf out to be as some kind of hero, _Darkwing thought in embarrassment, because that wasn't the case. Newleaf was as normal a cat as any. He shook his head in reply to his apprentice's suggestion. "Don't worry about it, Flamepaw. I'll find her. You just stay, and try not to catch the sickness."

"Not like I can get away from it," she growled. "Oakpaw has it, and he sleeps in my den! I wanted to come with you so I wouldn't catch it and so I could meet Newleaf."

Her blue eyes were hopeful, but again Darkwing shook his head. "If you have to, sleep outside of camp. But you can't come with me. This is something I have to do alone."

"It didn't seem that way when you invited _Marshypool_," she scowled, a hint of jealousy in her tone.

"That was different!" he snapped at Flamepaw, then paused as his chest heaved with a sudden coughing fit.

But Flamepaw was unfazed and unsympathetic to his suffering. "Oh, yes, because I'm sure Newleaf would appreciate you bringing along _Marshypool_."

He took a deep breath before replying, holding back his coughs. "You don't need to prove yourself to Newleaf. She's loved you ever since you were born. But Marshypool does need to prove herself."

She glared at him, her eyes burning with blue fire, reminding him of how Newleaf's eyes flashed azure lightning when angry. "That doesn't mean Newleaf would appreciate it," she hissed.

"You say it as if you know her," he snarled. "You didn't, at least, not as much as I do. So, please, Flamepaw, go back to camp."

Her teeth clenched, and her claws dug into the soft ground. "All right, Darkwing. But you'd better bring her back soon. I won't let our Clan die because you take too long to find Newleaf. And if you don't bring her back within three days, I'm finding her myself!"

.

Relieved that Flamepaw had gone away, he whipped around and tasted the air. He was nearing the Thunderpath they'd used as apprentices to come back from the Moonstone. The roar was loud, this wasn't a good time to come, it was busy with monsters, but he had to find her. He needed to get across the Thunderpath. He crouched at the edge of the stone path, staring out at the monsters, trying to decide when to cross.

A long gap between two monsters was all he needed. He tensed as two monsters, eyes glaring, raced past, stirring up a disgusting-scented wind, and instinctively leapt forward and dashed across, black fur bristling as a monster just barely missed him.

He stopped to catch his breath at the other edge and pricked his ears. He wondered how long it would take to find her. Darkwing hoped she wasn't too far away. His reassurances to Marshypool were nothing but empty guesses. How would he know if Newleaf lived near the Clans or farther than any Clan cat had traveled?

His belly rumbled with hunger, and he gazed longingly at the small, thick forest, hearing the trees whisper with the promise of prey. _Good_, he thought. _I'm still hungry. I'm not that sick._ Darkwing wanted to ignore his hunger, wanted to keep searching for his friend, but he knew it was impossible for him to scent the air, trying to concentrate on finding Newleaf's scent and instead the smell of prey flooding his nostrils, making his appetite more intense.

So he prowled through the forest and found a thrush eating away. Excitement pulsed through him –he rarely tasted ThunderClan prey. He crept up, staying in the shadows. He was less than familiar with ThunderClan stalking techniques, and he knew this would be a messy catch if he caught the thrush at all. But hunger sharpened his claws, he supposed, because he'd stalked it without the bird noticing and was nearly close enough to leap. He pounced, making his presence known, and the thrush flapped upward. He jumped as high as he could and got his claws snagged in its skin. It fought to escape, but he brought it down with him and ended its life with a quick, painless bite to the neck.

He ate the thrush, feeling the meat fill him. Then he trudged onward, full, but strangely not reenergized. It didn't matter. ShadowClan counted on him to keep moving.

**Ω Ω Ω**

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Darkwing made his way to Mothermouth, sighing. He was exhausted, and after a hard day of looking for his best friend, he'd found not even the slightest trace of her scent. She'd come this way, she _had_! And yet her scent was gone.

He padded to the mouth of the large cave, feeling the coolness of the underground air brush his fur. He was so hot, but he hadn't found any water.

He entered the cave, padding down only a fox-length before collapsing down on the cold, hard stone floor. Darkwing could literally feel the sickness sapping all his energy away from him, and the thought sparked fear in his mind. He struggled with his fatigue, refusing to be pulled into the depths of sleep. He couldn't die, not now, not when his Clan needed him. Yet something coaxed him gently to fall into slumber, that he would not be harmed. He listened. He fell asleep.

And immediately woke up, fear lending energy to his muscles. His dark eyes wide, he took in his surroundings. He was no longer in the black cave of Mothermouth, but was in a forest, cooler than his own, but still warm as greenleaf should be, the treetops and grass sparkling. Suddenly he felt healthy again, strong, energetic.

A dark ginger she-cat stood in front of him, pelt shimmering with stars. Her green eyes were gentle and comforting. He knew this cat. His heart tore in two, seeing her after so long, but he _knew_ her.

"Sunpaw," he whispered, his voice shaking. Darkwing took a step forward, knowing fully where he was.

"Darkwing," she purred, and he closed his eyes, not believing for a moment that she was here, that she'd chosen to come to him now, but he breathed in her scent deeply anyway. "Darkwing," she said again, this time more sharply, and he opened his eyes, suddenly afraid.

"Sunpaw… am I… have I…?"

The StarClan cat shook her head, smiling. "No, Darkwing, you aren't dead."

Relief flooded over him, but it didn't stop his legs from trembling. "Why am I here, then? And why are you?"

"ShadowClan needs our help, do they not?" Sunpaw tipped her head, whiskers twitching.

"I can't find Newleaf," he blurted –something he very rarely did. Only Sunpaw or Newleaf made him this comfortable. "I'm trying, Sunpaw, but I can't."

Her green eyes narrowed. "Can't? No. You_ can_, and you _will_. You're right, Darkwing, ShadowClan needs Newleaf's help again, though her visit may be premature right now."

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

Sunpaw shook her head. "I cannot tell you. But Newleaf will still need you once you find her. And you will. She's closer than you think."

"Is she?" he wondered, a bit dazed.

"Yes," mewed Sunpaw. She paused, looking him over, then picked a large leaf from the ground. Sunpaw gestured for Darkwing to come closer. "Drink," she ordered, and he crouched down and lapped at the water, feeling the coolness slide down his throat. "Then rest."

He gazed upward at her. "Thank you, Sunpaw."

She nodded, then pressed her muzzle to his forehead and whispered gently, "Sleep now, Darkwing." And he sunk into the state of black unconsciousness.

.

He woke later than usual next morning, feeling his muscles stiff from sleeping on the hard stone. His energy was somewhat recharged. Sunpaw hadn't cured his sickness, he knew immediately, but she had slowed its advance.

Darkwing padded out of the cool cave into the hot, humid air. And he discovered that Sunpaw was right. The scent was a bit stale, perhaps a few days old, covered with more recent smells of the forest. Why hadn't he scented it before? _I was too tired to notice. _

But it was there. Newleaf's scent.

**Cliffie! There we go. Like it? Like how I don't use linebreaks anymore, and instead use the awesome Omega? XD **

**I needed Sunpaw in 'cause she, however unimportant to Newleaf, is _very_ important to Darkwing. Ah, Sunpaw's first appearance. XD If she came across as Mary Sueish, forgive me. I'm not good at writing sparkly StarClan cats. **

**Review, please. :)**

**tufted titmouse: I think I just confirmed what you said in this chapter, right?**

**Daystar: Ahaha. That's the best part. Cliffie and then take like more than two weeks to update. But I only took, what? A few days. XD**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	4. Nightmares

**All right. Go on, yell at me. I haven't updated in forever, I know. Blame the ever-present Writers' Block that has been tormenting me for so long. Oh, well.**

**Thank you reviewers: S. Elise, tufted titmouse, XxBlazestormxX, The Goddess of Darkness, Before The Winter's Dawn, PurpleVNeck, Icethroat21, Queen Of The Pens, SilverWolf716, Pencil37, Daystar, and Veni0Vidi0Vici.**

Chapter Three

_Newleaf_

_Moans of pain echoed in her _ears, but all she could see was a deep blackness. The voices of her former Clanmates sounded like bat chatter, squeaking and chirping. She shook her head to clear it with no success. A strong breeze tugged on her fur, and the wind seemed like claws grabbing her pelt, pulling it as if to call for help.

A thin ray of light let her see her brother, looking terrorized, his amber eyes wide with fear. He saw her, and called to her, but she couldn't understand him, and could only stare back, not knowing what this new horror was.

Then she could recognize Darkwing's yowl of agony, her mother's, even Nightstar's. And she saw a tiger, one of the ones of elders' tales, the huge black-striped cats of TigerClan, poised to attack her former Clan. Another tiger was there, looming over her father, his claws dripping with blood –_Nightstar's _blood –she thought as her stomach clenched.

She opened her mouth to yowl, but no sound came from her throat. Panic flooded over her. Newleaf's heart pounded hard in her chest, wishing for it to stop. _Stop it, stop it! _

She jerked awake, fear and adrenaline pouring in her veins. Newleaf gazed out of her den, noticing that it was still night. She curled up tighter, trying to convince herself that it was just a dream. She closed her eyes to pull herself together, and ultimately decided to go to Ravenpaw's barn.

The black loner never minded if she came late at night, which she did often. Her ShadowClan blood might have been an influence to her frequent late-night visits to the barn, but it had more to do with Newleaf's constant insomnia. She stretched luxuriously, and headed out of her den.

She'd gone to the Moonstone yesterday under Ravenpaw's suggestion, but her ancestors hadn't come, not even Squirrelpaw or Badgerpaw. It had greatly irritated her, especially when these nightmares haunted her whenever she seemed to close her eyes for the past couple of days.

_I hate this, _she thought.

Newleaf broke into a run as she neared the Thunderpath. This late at night, the Thunderpath was very quiet –not a single monster raged past her, and she crossed with confidence.

She pricked her ears. Ravenpaw often liked to hunt rats at night; it was possible that he was near. She dared not call his name, though. Newleaf wouldn't want to cost him a catch.

She opened her mouth slightly to see if she could scent him. If he was hunting, good. If he was asleep in the barn, she would wait until he woke up. Or perhaps she would go to sleep. She sometimes found the sounds of Barley's light snores and Ravenpaw's heavy breathing closing her eyelids, making her lethargic.

But still she looked, narrowing her eyes. There was no scent but the smell of the night. Newleaf padded to the barn, where she found Ravenpaw just settling in for the night.

He glanced up, obviously scenting her before seeing her. "Newleaf," he mewed quietly so as to not disturb the sleeping Barley. "What are you doing here?"

"Nightmares," she grunted, and flopped down, exhausted, next to him.

"Again?" he sounded surprised. "Did you go to the Moonstone?"

"Yes," she hissed in annoyance. "They didn't show me anything. Didn't even come to me. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"I had nightmares after I left ThunderClan," Ravenpaw meowed thoughtfully. "Tigerclaw was always pinning me down, whispering evil things in my ears, before he closed his jaws around my neck. I would wake up before he killed me. Always. They still happen to me sometimes too. Maybe that's what these nightmares are –you've had them before."

"I know, I know, but these are different," she insisted, careful to lower her voice as Barley twitched in his sleep.

"How?"

She glanced down at her paws and shrugged.

"You can stay here tonight, if you really think you'll have another nightmare," the former ThunderClan cat mewed. Ravenpaw's amber eyes were warm. "Maybe a night away from home would do you good."

She blinked up at him. Newleaf was immensely tired, and though for some strange reason something compelled her to get home, to her nest, regardless of her torturous dreams. But she gave in to her fatigue. It wasn't physical exhaustion; her tiredness was mental and emotional. Her nightmares were beginning to suck all the life from her.

"Okay," she whispered, and nestled into the comfortable hay, sinking into dreamless sleep.

.

She blinked awake, sunlight streaming through the barn's doors, which were a bit ajar. She yawned, then tensed as Newleaf remembered where she was. A mouse was lying at her feet. Ravenpaw must have caught it for her and left it there before he went out hunting. The thought made her lash her tail. She could hunt too.

But Newleaf took a bite anyway. Barley was nowhere to be seen; no doubt he was with Ravenpaw. It was fine. She had a feeling she was spending to much time with the black loner anyway. Barley needed a friend too.

The former ShadowClan cat finished her mouse and padded outside. Ravenpaw and Barley were nowhere to be seen. But suddenly that compulsion to go back to her den overcame her, and even though she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to her friends, the urge was so great it was almost as if she were going back home against her will.

The Thunderpath was busy now, but it didn't matter. She waited until it was safe to cross, then sprinted to the other side. She took a break to catch her breath.

It dawned on her that she hadn't had a drink of water, but she shook her head impatiently. Her den was only a few tree-lengths from a stream. Luckily, it still hadn't dried up, unless it had early this morning, which was unlikely.

Newleaf headed to the stream. Relieved to find water sluggishly cutting its way through her little forest, she leaned down to take a long drink. The cool water washed down her throat, and she licked her lips as she looked up from the stream. The sun was less intense in the forest, but she still felt its heat on her back. She wondered how Ravenpaw must feel with his black pelt. He must've been dying with the heat.

She made her way back to her den, thinking about what exactly compelled her to come back when she'd been looking forward to a day with Ravenpaw and Barley.

A rustling of leaves made her look up. She opened her mouth to scent the air. Prey? No, no, it was a cat. And the scent was eerily familiar. She knew this cat, and well.

And it hit her like a monster. The first she'd scented was ShadowClan, the scent that still stubbornly clung to her own fur, only faintly. But the cat's scent underneath it… There was no doubt that it was Darkwing. Her old friend.

The force of this new revelation made her stagger backward and take a few deep breaths. Darkwing was here. Was he looking for her? No, no. Why else would he be here, though? But why would he be searching for her?

_My nightmares_. She instantly thought. There was something wrong with ShadowClan. Now she regretted not saying farewell to Ravenpaw.

Then it hit her again: his scent was slightly sour, like rotting kill. She knew immediately what it was. Sickness.

She swallowed, suddenly feeling anxious. Newleaf hadn't seen her friend for two seasons. Who knew how much he'd changed?

_Not much, _she tried to comfort herself. _Not much if he's coming to find me. _

She slinked through the shadows, trying to pinpoint where he was. His scent was everywhere; it seemed that he'd been pacing around. She took a risk. She called his name.

"Darkwing?"

No answer.

Frustrated, she whipped around, eyes flashing, and jumped in shock. Newleaf was staring into Darkwing's dark blue eyes.

**Disappointed? This is the best I could do, since I have Writers' Block. I've also been rereading The Hunger Games trilogy. 'Tis good, 'tis good.**

**Review?**

_**tufted titmouse: **_**True, true. **

_**Daystar: **_**I hope you're not talking about me. XD**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	5. Reunion

**So. I update today on the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I felt like I needed to, and when I have my mind set on updating a particular day, I do it. **

**The reason? I don't want to distract you from the sadness, I just want to remember this day. The day that America's innocence and sense of security was lost. I was too young to fully understand it, but even then, I was terrified, shocked, saddened. Fellow Americans, just remember -this tragedy has united us. **

**Now, taking a break from recollection... You've probably had enough of that for today...**

**Thank you reviewers: S. Elise, Queen Of The Pens, Moving To Mars, tufted titmouse, SilverWolf716, XxBlazestormxX, Icethroat21, PurpleVNeck, Veni0Vidi0Vici, and all the wonderful reviews from dragonFELL.**

Chapter Four

_Darkwing_

_His fur brushed the bushes as _he padded out of the shadows. Darkwing settled in front of her, and there they stood, studying the other in silence. He didn't like this wary surveying, this uncomfortable moment of silence. They were best friends. Weren't they supposed to be chatting animatedly, catching up with each other?

He so wanted to say something, but he was distracted, and fairly amazed, at how little his friend had changed. Newleaf's fur was sleek, no longer retaining its kit-like fluff. She was not exactly plump, but she looked well-fed, and her muscles seemed no harder than the last time he'd seen them. She'd grown a bit, but Newleaf was still very small. All in all, she was a picture of health, of which he hadn't seen for a while.

Newleaf licked her lips, and naturally, was the one to break the silence. "Darkwing."

Her tone was casual and polite, yet held some remnants of her surprise at seeing him. She padded up to him, seemingly to stretch to appear taller than she really was. Her next words held a bit of desperation. "Please tell me that your coming was a coincidence of your missing me and not something to do with the welfare of ShadowClan."

He shook his head. "Sorry."

Newleaf sighed, and shook her head slowly. "I knew it. My nightmares. You smell of sickness. I knew it."

"Sickness," he sighed, "that's what is wrong with ShadowClan. Nearly all of the Clan is ill, and there is no remedy, no cure that we know of. Runningnose doesn't even try anymore."

"So…" Newleaf hesitated. "You came to find me? And_ what_ in StarClan made you think that I could fight a sickness?"

Darkwing blinked. She had a point. She was trained as a warrior, not a medicine cat, and she had no real knowledge of herbs. "I don't know," he confessed. "I just felt like I needed to find you."

He shuffled his paws, unsure of what else to say. What was this? Their reunion was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but Newleaf was treating him as though he were a rogue trespassing on her territory.

Newleaf inhaled deeply, as if trying to keep her temper in check. She nodded. "All right. So, sickness. Tell me about it."

"Could we go to your den, maybe?" he asked, knowing it made him sound weak but not caring. This was Newleaf. This was his best friend. He couldn't hide anything from her if he tried. "I've been traveling for two days, trying to find you."

She nodded. "Of course." She bumped his muzzle with her own. "It's great to see you, by the way. I've missed you."

"It didn't seem like it the way you greeted me," he huffed, but he smiled anyway.

"Business first, friendliness later," she meowed, then turned and flicked her tail. "Come on, then, follow me."

She led him through the thick, ThunderClan-like foliage, dry leaves crackling under his paws as he stepped on them. Her pace wasn't as brisk as it was usually; she was accommodating for his illness. He followed her into a bush big enough to be a warriors' den and settled down in the center of it, where a nest was delicately built of soft moss and feathers.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can catch something, if you like."

He shook his head. "I just need to tell you of the sickness."

She gazed at him, frowning. He still ate, of course, he still felt hunger, but he hadn't been eating so much since the sickness had taken over his Clan. Newleaf would think he was starving. She nodded hesitantly. "All right. What happened?"

"An apprentice came back with a rat," he began, and immediately Newleaf jumped to her paws.

"A rat? A _rat_?" she asked with rising anger. "The rats at Carrionplace are lethal! They carry too many sicknesses to count!"

He nodded. "I know. But the apprentice was too young to remember."

"That doesn't matter! Why would you be hunting in Carrionplace in greenleaf in the first place? The marshes are full of frogs and the pines full of squirrels!" she hissed.

"Well, it's done now. Over with. We need help, Newleaf. Littlecloud and Whitethroat have gone to ThunderClan for help, and we haven't seen them since. We don't even know if they're alive," he informed.

At the mention of her brother's name, she sighed. "Even if I'm not sure what to do, I'll help. I don't like feeling like I know something and can't do anything about it."

"I know," he agreed with a smirk, and Newleaf flicked her tail at him in annoyance.

"Does Runningnose need herbs?" she asked. "There are plenty here –ones that I know of and some I don't."

He nodded. "We've run out of herbs. Kits die without poppy seeds, and warriors die slowly, not an honorable death suited to a warrior's life."

"Then we'll have to get some on the way," she meowed decisively. "I reckon half of the Clan has already died, the way you put it."

"And Nightstar is on his way to StarClan," he murmured sadly.

Newleaf's eyes widened. "Nightstar's dying?"

He nodded. "It's as if he loses a life a day."

His friend's blue eyes hardened and she set her shoulders straight. "Then let's go. Now."

**Ω Ω Ω**

Darkwing was panting by the time they reached the Moonstone. It was a fairly long trek, and Newleaf had barely made accommodations for his illness. It was midmorning when they left, but now the sun was going down. They had had to stop many times to gather herbs, to rest, to hunt and eat.

Pink streaks filled the western sky, and the fiery sun was halfway under the horizon. Newleaf had nosed through as many herbs as she could, and now both cats carried a full load crammed in between their jaws.

"Do you want to rest again?" worried Newleaf, but Darkwing determinedly shook his head and keep pushing forward despite his exhaustion.

They passed Mothermouth in silence, and Newleaf slowed as she weaved through the rocky terrain, Darkwing following.

Once they had arrived at the Thunderpath, the sun had gone under, and the monsters were less. Newleaf allowed them to rest for a few moments while monsters roared past, then they calculated when to cross.

Newleaf, it seemed, had become quite the expert at crossing Thunderpaths without the assistance of tunnels, and they both crossed easily at her guidance.

And suddenly, they were once again in ShadowClan territory.

"Home," he whispered to her as he saw her gazing upward at the pines.

At the sound of his voice, Newleaf's head snapped to him, anger blazing in their blue depths. "Not _my _home anymore, Darkwing. This is your home. Your Clan. My loyalties don't lay here anymore."

Confusion whirled around in him, and he narrowed his eyes. Why did she agree to come back, then, if she didn't feel any loyalty to ShadowClan anymore? "But –"

He didn't finish; Newleaf had gone ahead, so he trailed behind her, wondering what the reason was for her agreement. Surely she felt at least some tiny kindling of loyalty in her?

They kept on, Newleaf grunting to herself about the familiar hunting grounds, and she looked back at Darkwing as they passed Carrionplace. "ShadowClan shouldn't be allowed there at all," she said, and she flicked her tail at it.

Newleaf set a brisk pace after that, and they passed pines and the marshes, all blurs in his peripheral vision, and suddenly his friend stopped dead. She was panting, her flanks heaving for breath, but that wasn't what had made her pause.

They were standing at the entrance of the ShadowClan camp.

**So. Not my best chapter, but it serves its purpose. **

**Review?**

**Maybe tell your personal 9/11 stories? I can tell you mine, if you sign in and have your PMs abled.**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	6. Illness

**... I don't know what to say in this. Maybe uh, sorry I took more than a year to update? XD You guys probably have torches and pitchforks at the ready, maybe you're going to burn me at the stake, maybe you'll throw me off the Empire State Building, maybe you're going to stab me twenty-three while I cry, "Et tu, reviewers?" Whatever plan you have to kill me, please be sure to read this chapter first? :3**

**Or maybe you guys don't follow this story anymore. ****Well, that's certainly tragic. D:**

**ANYWAY. I don't like this chapter, 'cause it's a filler, and I hate filler chapters, but meh. I have to explain things and slow the pace down before things get too intense. Also, it's so short. *stabs chapter***

**I also will make no promise to update soon. Because I'm evil. :D **

**Thanks to my reviewers: dragonFELL, S. Elise, Praise You In The Storm, Infinity Reasons, Veni0Vidi0Vici, XxBlazestormxX, SilverWolf716, tufted titmouse, Icethroat21, TortieTabbyCat, and Sundusk.**

Chapter Five

_Newleaf_

_How time slips away, Newleaf reflected _silently as she stared at the entrance of the camp she'd left behind so many moons ago. _It's been forever. _She glanced around, for the first time just _really _taking it all in. Nothing had changed really; the pines were always green, even in leaf-bare. The marshes were slightly dry. But it was still recognizable as ShadowClan territory. Still her hom-_ No. Not my home. Not anymore. I have to stop thinking of myself as a ShadowClan cat, I turned my back on this life a long time ago._

"Newleaf?" Darkwing's raspy voice startled her out of her reverie. "Are you all right?"

She shook her head to clear it, but she couldn't help feeling a rush of joy at her return, no matter how much she told herself that she didn't miss this place; that she missed her brother, her friends, her parents, that was all. However much she told herself this, Newleaf knew in her heart that she'd ached to come back. Now that she was back, the black-and-white loner had absolutely no idea how to present herself to her former Clanmates. She should not strut into camp as if returning from a well-fought battle, as if she still lived there. But she shouldn't be going in timid, like an outcast. Or maybe she should. _What does it matter?_she scolded herself. _They're sick. They'll be grateful that I'm back. Right?_

Darkwing gazed at her, and Newleaf realized she hadn't answered him. She dropped the herbs she'd been carrying to reply. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just... It sounds silly, because you'd think I wouldn't care, but I'm afraid." She laughed nervously. "Afraid they won't accept me, I mean."

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "Now come on. You'll have to see the camp for yourself."

"I'm not a medicine cat, Darkwing," Newleaf murmured, repeating what she'd told him before. But she was worried. Worried that she'd catch the sickness, that she'd die, worried that she'd never see Ravenpaw and Barley again, because she hadn't uttered a goodbye before leaving, worried that all of ShadowClan might die from this illness, worried that her best friend's journey would be in vain. "I won't be able to help with anything."

"You're the only one I could think of to help us," the black warrior replied, glancing down at his paws. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You did what you thought needed to be done. You brought me back. Now let's go. I'm tired of just standing here."

Newleaf grabbed the herbs again and pushed through the entrance of the ShadowClan camp, Darkwing following closely behind. The desertedness of the clearing startled her. The camp was always busy, but now only a few warriors were about, some of them coughing and hacking. She felt dread flash through her. How was she supposed to help with this? She was brilliant fighter, but all her skill in battle would be useless against this intangible, silent, deadly enemy.

"There you are!" a young voice impatiently meowed, and the black-and-white she-cat jumped, dropping the herbs again, and turning her head to see a russet-colored apprentice.

"Yes, here we are," replied Darkwing in a low tone. "So I kept my promise, Flamepaw."

The loner blinked. Flamepaw? The only Flame– she knew was a kit; Foxfur's daughter. Unless... of course! Flamepaw had passed six moons. She was an apprentice now. And Darkwing's apprentice, by the looks of it. Newleaf felt a stab of disappointment. She'd have loved being Flamepaw's mentor. _I wasn't here,_she reminded herself. _And Nightstar chose the next best cat for the job._She was slightly jealous of her best friend for having such a wonderful apprentice, but pride warmed her that Darkwing had been given such an honor so young. Mentoring an apprentice already -he was barely a warrior himself! _We were made warriors extremely early,_she told herself. _Darkwing has more experience than one would think._

"Hello, Flamepaw," she mewed shyly. "I'm Newleaf."

The reddish apprentice looked at her in disbelief. "I know who you are, rat-brain. I've missed you! I think."

"You think?" the black-and-white loner twitched her whiskers in amusement.

"Well, I sort of remember you from when I was a kit," Flamepaw replied. "And Darkwing never shuts up about you."

"I do so!" the black tom looked horrified. "She's just kidding, Newleaf."

"You must've really missed me, huh?" the small loner teased Darkwing, whose blue eyes flashed with embarrassment, then glanced back at the apprentice. "Well, I missed you too. We were really quite close when you were a kit."

"Yeah, I know," the red she-cat meowed. "I just can't believe I'm seeing you again! After all this time! You're going to help us, right? I mean, you're such a hero!"

Newleaf hesitated. "To the best of my ability, yes."

"Great!" Flamepaw purred. "Now, I've gotta go. I don't stay in camp much, 'cause I'm afraid I'll become ill. I only come here to bring in prey for the sick cats to eat –not like they eat much anyway, but I have to help them survive, right?"

"Well, I'm glad you're finally paying attention to me," said Darkwing. "Now go on."

The apprentice nodded and left camp. Newleaf watched her go, suddenly feeling the weight of ShadowClan on her shoulders again. _She thinks I'm a hero. But I'm not. I was just at the wrong place at the right time. Oh, StarClan, what am I going to do to help my Clan?_

This time, her siblings did not answer her prayer. They were soundless as the Moonstone. Newleaf actually didn't mind their silence. They wouldn't help much anyway.

A pretty brown she-cat padded up to the two cats, obviously holding in a cough. "Hello, Newleaf."

"Marshypool," she replied curtly. She still wasn't very trusting of her former friend, but now was no time for hostility. "I don't suppose I can ask how you've been. What with the sickness and all."

"Yeah," the brown tabby warrior agreed. "I'm glad you're back, though. I guess, um, you should go to Runningnose's den. He might want to see you."

"Right," Newleaf meowed.

The two she-cats kept staring at each other in silence, and the loner's pelt prickled in discomfort as Marshypool's gray eyes bore into her.

Darkwing coughed, and Newleaf sensed it wasn't necessarily a cough due to his sickness, but that was how he played it off. "You don't mind if I borrowed some of your herbs, do you, Newleaf?" He reached for a leaf and ate it.

"You brought herbs?" Marshypool glanced down at the small black-and-white loner's feet, her eyes suddenly sparking with hope. "Even better! Go to Runningnose! He'll be so grateful for them."

"Of course," she replied, and nodded politely as she took the remedies to the medicine den, passing sick cats. Newleaf flinched, not wanting to catch the illness, but she went on and found the medicine cat staring at his stock of medicine with despair. The loner followed his gaze and saw only three leaves -she didn't know which herbs they were.

"Oh, StarClan," she heard him breathe out.

Newleaf dropped her herbs in front of him. "It isn't much, but it's something."

He looked at her in shock. "Newleaf? Is that really you?"

"Why so surprised? I haven't changed that much, have I?" She joked at her own expense.

"But... I'd thought you turned your back on the Clans," the medicine cat replied.

The loner shrugged. "I guess I have some really convincing friends."

"Well, welcome back." Runningnose hesitated, then meowed, "Listen. I know you're wondering about your parents."

Newleaf blinked. Was she that easy to read? She waited for the tom to continue.

"Nightstar is very ill. I discourage you from visiting him, although I'm sure he would want to see you, to apologize. Your mother, however, is fine. A small amount of those without the sickness, except for me, are out in dens around the camp. Close enough so that we are protected, but far enough so that they cannot fall ill. A brilliant idea. Flamepaw was the one to voice her concern."

_That was Darkwing's idea,_she knew immediately. He'd told Flamepaw to protect herself from the sickness, but she'd come back to camp and gotten all the healthy cats to leave. She nodded at the gray-and-white tom.

"I need to see Nightstar," she urged. "I know you don't advise it, but he's my father. I _have_to see him. I –I at least have to say goodbye. Darkwing told me... He told me Nightstar's dying."

The medicine cat looked doubtful for a moment, but nodded. "Very well, Newleaf."

She turned away, her stomach suddenly in knots. Newleaf was incredibly anxious. Nightstar had gotten his nine lives only six moons ago. How could he be dying? How could her father be dying? The one she had looked up to, as a great warrior, strong and brave, yet caring. Newleaf had disagreed with Nightstar, yes, but even then, she'd never stopped loving him.

The loner padded to the hollowed tree that was the leader's den, and smarted as she heard the harsh breathing coming from inside. She steeled herself, and whispered, "Nightstar?"

Amber eyes gleamed in the darkness of the den, bright with fever. She could barely make out her father's black pelt. His voice was feeble. "Who?"

"It's Newleaf, Nightstar. Your daughter. I've come back," she meowed gently, finally entering the den. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she settled next to the ShadowClan leader. Nightstar's breathing was rapid and shallow; he was shivering despite the scorching heat, his fur was unkempt and dull, she could see his ribs sticking out.

"Newleaf." Nightstar blinked up at her in amazement. He coughed, his whole body shuddering with the force of it. "You're back home."

_This is not my home anymore,_she thought, but she was too polite to say that to her father. "Yes."

The black tom made an effort to stand, but was far too weak, so he relaxed in his nest again. "I'm glad you're here. I was afraid I wouldn't get a chance to see you again. I've needed to talk to you for a long time."

"All right," Newleaf meowed.

"I apologize, Newleaf. You were right, before the battle with WindClan. We lost, and rightfully so. StarClan decrees there should be four Clans in the forest."

She gazed at him blankly. Why was he worrying of such things now? That was over. She hadn't left because of her disagreement with Nightstar; she left because she didn't feel needed, because she didn't want to be a Clan cat anymore. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Nightstar. You were doing what you thought was best for your Clan. I see that now, and I should be the one apologizing, for not understanding that."

Nightstar only coughed in reply.

"Darkwing said you were dying," she murmured.

"I am," he replied, his voice calm. She could hardly believe how relaxed he was about this. He was dying, yet he seemed not to care.

"But you can't be!" she insisted. "Surely you have enough lives left!"

Nightstar's eyes flashed in fear. "You should go, Newleaf. I don't want you to fall ill, too. But I'm glad you came to visit me. It's been wonderful seeing you again."

The loner had to wonder; how could he know that he was dying, but say those last words to her as if they would be seeing each other again soon? But Newleaf nodded anyway.

She stood and left the den, praying to StarClan to spare her father's life. _Don't let him die, please don't let him die, I love my father, don't let him die._

**It's too much to ask, but... Review? :3**

**_~Coqui's Song_  
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	7. Coughing

**I feel a bit of empathy towards the sick ShadowClan cats. I wrote most of this chapter while ill this past week with an upper respiratory infection (which I suppose is more like greencough than ShadowClan's sickness, but screw that! I used my illness as inspiration for this chapter! NOTHING AGAINST IT. NOTHING.) ... I don't know why I'm being defensive. :'D Uh, maybe it's the fact that I took so long to update again. When was the last time I updated? September?**

**It's only February. It's not like I took a_ year._ **

**Anyway. Thank you: MidnightPandaHat, Swiftstar1, anonymous, Spottedclaw21, Dapplepelt, and guitarrawr1 for reviewing!**

Chapter Six

_Darkwing_

_The world felt surreal now. Newleaf was _here; back home, just like he'd wanted for the past two seasons. Darkwing thought about the last several moons without her home while he curled up in his nest, gazing at the entrance to Nightstar's den. The dark warrior wanted to talk to her when she came out. They hadn't spoken all that much, not really, since their reunion. But that was expected; he'd found her just this morning. So he waited for his friend to pad out of her father's den, but as he did so, his eyelids began to feel very heavy. His trek had taken its toll. He'd gone nearly nonstop all the way past Highstones and back (not counting his rest at Mother Mouth). Darkwing was extremely exhausted, though he still fought to keep his eyes open. Between his illness and his physical exertion, he was ready to pass out.

Drowsiness made his vision blurry. He could see Newleaf pad out of her father's den and saw Marshypool bound toward his friend, but the two she-cats were smears of color in the starry night. They were talking at length about something, that much he knew, but he was so tired. He stayed awake as long as he could, but the last thing Darkwing could remember seeing was the two cats, their frames highlighted by the moonlight.

The black tom started awake as the black-and-white loner picked her way carefully to her old nest next to him. Darkwing had refused to clean out the old moss she'd used as her bedding, and did not let any other cat use the nest. Newleaf's scent still lingered on the moss, and when he was feeling very lonely, he would take in the scent and revel in the memories of his best friend. He always had Littlecloud, that was true, but Newleaf was the one who held them together. Without her, they'd grown slightly apart. Darkwing regretted that, especially since the small brown tabby tom had been his last connection to her.

"Oh, sorry," said Newleaf, bringing him back from his memories. She'd taken a step back and was giving him a tiny timid grin.

"What are you doing here?" he muttered sleepily, holding in a cough.

His friend blinked, not fully understanding the question. "I don't know. You_ brought_ me here."

"No, no," he murmured, trying to stay awake. "I meant, why are you in this den? Why didn't you go to where Flamepaw and the others are?"

"Because I don't know where they are," she replied, annoyed.

"There's something called 'scenting the air'. You should try it sometime," he mewed, twitching his whiskers in amusement. He turned his head and let out a single cough, just to relieve himself. "Or have you forgotten how to hunt?"

"No," she snapped defensively, scowling. He could see that she was trying to come up with some scathing retort to put him in his place, but it was late and the black tom could see that the small she-cat was drained. Newleaf only sighed and said,"Now go back to sleep. I only wanted to sleep where I used to."

"I never said you couldn't," Darkwing pointed out, pausing to yawn hugely. "I just thought you might not want to catch the sickness."

"Thank you for your concern," Newleaf meowed wryly, then settled down on her old nest. She curled up, pressing her white fur against his black pelt. Her next words were more sincere, gentler. "But I'm fine here."

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, and for the first time in moons, he felt so… _complete _with his best friend sleeping in the nest next to him. It was almost as if she'd never left ShadowClan at all. It felt infinitely right. There'd been a draft in the warrior's den for two seasons, and he'd shivered even in the warm weather, missing her warmth. Missing her. Darkwing was heightened by her return, and he slept on a cloud that night.

**Ω Ω Ω**

He awoke the next morning by nearly coughing his lungs out. The black warrior trembled as the ferocious coughs forced their way out of his mouth, and he caught himself whining in self-pity more than once. He hated feeling weak, hated this infernal sickness, but hating it didn't make it go away.

"Darkwing, stay here," said Newleaf, who'd been awakened by his bout of coughing. Worry was alight in her eyes. "I'll be back with herbs. You just wait."

"Can't go anywhere," he tried to joke.

She nodded and hurried out of the den.

"You're getting worse," Marshypool commented flatly as she padded up to him, frowning. She muttered on, her tone becoming dark and despairing. "Cats always start having huge coughing fits when they get worse. Soon you won't be able to eat. You'll vomit everything you ingest. Then you won't be able to leave your nest, not even to go to the dirtplace. Then you die. I'm surprised Nightstar's still alive."

"Thank you for being so cheery," Darkwing dryly replied. "I –" he coughed. "I prefer not think of myself dying. Or dying in general. I'd really rather not do it."

"You're not the only one. I'm terrified." The tabby she-cat gazed at him, true fear in her gray eyes. "We're so young, Darkwing. So young and we're already fighting for our lives."

"It wouldn't be the first time," he observed, one of the corners of his mouth curling up in a lopsided smile. "More like –" More of that blasted coughing interrupted him. "The third? Fourth? I don't even know anymore."

"But at least I knew I had a fighting chance to make it alive."

"We still do."

"No, we don't," Marshypool spat out bitterly. "We don't and you know it. The whole of ShadowClan will die before we find a cure."

"StarClan promised," Darkwing struggled to say. "They promised we would be strong again. They sent Runningnose a sign saying so."

"When have we ever been strong?" the brown tabby she-cat screeched at him furiously.

Marshypool's words, at least for him, held a ring of truth. He flinched and tried not to think of whether or not she was right. How could ShadowClan bounce back from this? It would take a miracle.

In the time it took to try to form a reply, Newleaf entered the den with a few leaves, her fur fluffed up in anxiety. "It's not enough. Runningnose said it'll only hold off the symptoms for a little while. But you were coughing so hard." Her azure eyes flashed with concern.

"Th-thanks," he spluttered. He licked up the leaves and swallowed them. The coughing subsided.

"I have to go back home," Newleaf murmured. "Have to get more herbs. ShadowClan dying…" she trailed off, staring into space.

"You're beginning to sound like a medicine cat," he teased.

His friend glared at him, but it only lasted a heartbeat before she grinned. "Sounding like one and being one are two very different things."

"I think you have promise," he mewed, stretching and padded out of the warrior's den, his friend following him closely.

"I'm a loner," she reminded him. "Besides, I wouldn't have the disposition to be a medicine cat. I'm too short-tempered."

"Yellowfang was short-tempered."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean!"

Darkwing made his way toward the tiny fresh-kill pile and took a frog. He remembered what Marshypool had told him, that soon he wouldn't be able to hold anything down, so he figured he'd eat as much as he could now. He noticed Newleaf's eyes gazing longingly at the frog, but she said nothing as she took a squirrel.

"You want the frog?" he offered, thinking that his friend probably hadn't had her favorite meal in a long time if she was so fixated on his fresh-kill.

She nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Darkwing." They traded prey and she took a huge bite of the frog.

He watched her, whiskers twitching in amusement, until she'd wolfed down the amphibian. The black tom still hadn't taken a bite of the squirrel.

Newleaf licked her lips. "I'd forgotten how good they taste."

"You eat ThunderClan prey now," he teased gently, then bit into his squirrel.

"No, _you're _the one eating ThunderClan prey," the black-and-white loner retorted, cuffing his ear playfully.

Darkwing forgot his squirrel and pounced on her, biting her ear. She wriggled from under him and nipped his tail. He bowled her over and pinned her, grinning down at her triumphantly. And only then did he realize that he was panting hard, more so than his friend was, and that he was trembling. The dark warrior was exhausted, and it was easy for Newleaf to push him aside. He collapsed on his side, coughing and hacking and gasping for breath.

"Darkwing!" He could barely hear his friend's worried voice, hardly see her for tears in his eyes. "Darkwing!"

Then a new voice joined in Newleaf's; a younger one. "Darkwing?"

"Flamepaw," he rasped. Her russet-colored coat was a blur in front of his eyes. "Go… back."

"No," she snapped. "I'm your apprentice. I let you order me to stay back when you got Newleaf, but I'm not leaving you now."

"He's your mentor, Flamepaw," he heard Newleaf say. "Do as he says. Or get some herbs from Runningnose." But she didn't sound very confident. The medicine cat must have used up most of the herbs Newleaf brought him. Indeed, when his apprentice returned, she didn't bring anything with her. Flamepaw shook her head in frustration.

When Darkwing had recovered enough to scramble back to his paws, Newleaf apologized for causing his fit to occur. She looked out of her mind with worry, and he had to insist it wasn't her fault. Flamepaw was just looking sullen.

"I hate this," she growled. "Watching my Clan die. Watching my mentor die. Watching my family die."

"We all hate it, Flamepaw. But there isn't anything we can do. There are barely any herbs and we don't know the cure for the sickness. If there even _is _a cure," Newleaf replied, sighing.

"Why can't _you _help us?" the flame-pelted she-cat accused. "I thought _you_ knew it."

"Flamepaw," Darkwing warned, holding back a cough.

"Shut it, Darkwing," spat his apprentice, then turned back to his friend, padding up to her. Flamepaw's eyes burned with fury. She stalked up to Newleaf and snarled in the loner's face, "Why aren't you saving us? I thought you saved ShadowClan before! Why are you letting us suffer? Why would Darkwing bring you here if you didn't know the cure? I thought you were a hero, but you're just a traitor!"

**... I totally get that Flamepaw's outburst at the end there is extremely dramatic. But she just found out her hero is just like everyone else, and it's not really registering. **

**I don't really like this chapter, but next chapter will be better! /nodnod **

**Review?**

**_~Coqui's Song_  
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	8. Pines and Marshes

**C-can this be? A-a _quick update? _Yes, yes it is. Although it's slightly shorter than last chapter, and I'm not exactly happy with this, but I had it collecting dust for days because I didn't change anything. Yes, I am a lazy author. Sue me. **

**I'm raging because I'm sick again. ****Seriously, screw winter. If it's not gonna snow, and I'm gonna get sick more than once, it freaking _sucks. _I hate this. I can't miss so much school (then again, missing tomorrow wouldn't be so bad...). **

**Anyway.**

**Thank you reviewers: guitarrawr1, ANONYMOUS, and StarsAbove. **

Chapter Seven

_Newleaf_

_Traitor, traitor, traitor. The word kept _running around her mind. It was like a bee buzzing around her ears. It wouldn't stop and it wouldn't go away. Of course she wasn't a traitor. How could she be, if she wasn't even technically a ShadowClan cat anymore? Perhaps the fact that she'd left made her a traitor. If so, then Flamepaw was right, but she had betrayed her Clan long ago, so it shouldn't be that much a surprise now.

After the apprentice's harsh accusation, she'd whipped around, not even letting Newleaf get a chance to spit out a retort. Darkwing had tried to catch up to his apprentice, but the flame-colored she-cat had stormed out of the camp, and he'd started coughing again.

"Don't think about what Flamepaw said," he told her now, letting out a small cough. "It's my fault I kept her hopes so high. I made you out to be a hero, and she believed me. I guess she thought you were some prophet from StarClan or something." He chuckled harshly. "I suppose the realization that you weren't any better than the rest of us really shocked her."

But now she was feeling dark and depressed. "I shouldn't have helped save ShadowClan when we were kits. ThunderClan was fine without us."

"It wasn't just that night," he murmured. "It was everything leading up to that, too."

"If I were such a hero in your stories, you should be one, too. You did everything I did and better," the black-and-white she-cat muttered, lashing her tail.

He blinked at her in surprise. "I never thought so."

"I do," she meowed, glancing up at him. "You never needed saving. I did. And you were the one who always saved me."

"Well, guess who needs the saving now?" Darkwing tried for a smile. "It's certainly not you."

For that she had no reply. They sat together in silence, gazing at the tall pine trees surrounding them until Newleaf needed to leave the camp, she was feeling so restless. Darkwing stayed behind, but she went to the marshes and hunted. She tried to catch some frogs, but she was hopelessly out of practice. She stood with the cool mud covering her paws, surveying the terrain. How she'd missed it. The loner attempted again to catch a frog, and this time, she nearly had it, but before she could make the killing bite, it slipped out of her claws and plunged into a pond. Her whiskers twitched. She didn't really mind that she hadn't caught anything. Newleaf had never been particularly adept at hunting. She just adored being back among the towering conifers and refreshing marshes again.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen her mother yet, and that she really should find the place where the healthy cats were nesting, but the thought of confronting Flamepaw again made her hesitate. _She's just an apprentice, _Newleaf scorned herself, then opened her mouth to scent the air. She wanted to see her mother and Foxfur. The black-and-white she-cat hadn't seen her former mentor in camp, only her mate Flintfang and her son Owlpaw. Flintfang and Owlpaw had looked so ill, so near death, that Newleaf couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy for Flamepaw. And it hurt to think of what Foxfur was going through, having her mate dying and her son ill. But then, Newleaf's father and best friend were both very sick. It was agonizing, not being able to do anything about it.

The loner picked up her mother's scent and followed it to the tree where Yellowfang had hidden the night they drove Brokenstar away. Newleaf's lip curled. The air smelled of toadstools and decaying wood, but also the smell of many cats, cats without the scent of sickness on their pelts.

She padded a couple of pawsteps forward and turned at the sound of her name. A fox-colored she-cat was picking her way carefully toward her. Newleaf felt her own throat rumbling with a purr. She ran to her former mentor, touching her nose. Foxfur's green eyes glimmered in delight.

"It's been so long! You've grown so much!" the fox-pelted warrior purred. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Foxfur," Newleaf answered, smiling. "I came here because of the –"

"Sickness, I know," her former mentor interjected. Her eyes grew wistful. "How are Flintfang and Owlpaw?"

She sighed, and knew that Foxfur wanted the truth, not reassurances. "They're very ill, Foxfur."

The warrior closed her eyes and sighed. She murmured a prayer to StarClan. When she opened her eyes again, the fox-colored warrior smiled sadly. "Thank you for the truth, Newleaf."

The loner dipped her head. "I know it isn't comforting. How are Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw?"

"Fine, fine," the fox-furred she-cat replied. "And I'm sure you've seen Flamepaw –she seemed angry with you earlier."

"Worse than angry," Newleaf muttered, twitching her ears, trying not to remember Flamepaw's harsh, pointed words and how much they had stung. Louder, she asked, "Where's my mother? Runningnose told me she was here."

"Yes, she's here. Follow me; I'll show you to her." Foxfur flicked her tail and padded toward a group of bushes and poked her head under one. "Dawncloud?"

The former ShadowClan she-cat heard her mother's answering meow, "Yes, Foxfur?"

"Someone's here to see you," purred the warrior, glancing back at Newleaf, her green eyes glimmering.

Unable to contain her excitement at seeing her mother, Newleaf shot under the bush. "Dawncloud!"

The tabby she-cat jumped in surprise, but smiled. "Newleaf! It's been so long! Oh, look at how you've grown!"

The loner grinned, not really able to say anything, just taking in the sight of her mother. What a marvel it was, to see Dawncloud healthy despite her elderly age. She was slightly thin, but otherwise the tabby queen was fine. Newleaf finally said, "I'm sorry my visit comes at a time of trouble."

"Please, it's not as if you would come during any other time," Dawncloud teased gently. "I know you too well. You wanted to cut ties with us."

"No!" she insisted, hurt.

"I'm not blaming you, Newleaf. It's just how you are," her mother soothed. "You wouldn't have visited us at all if Darkwing hadn't searched for you."

The loner shook her head, anger starting to blossom in her chest. "I would have come!"

"If you didn't know of the sickness?" Dawncloud pressed.

Newleaf stared at her paws, embarrassed. She had to be honest with herself. If she hadn't felt something wrong, hadn't had the nightmares. If Darkwing hadn't come looking for her to bring her back. Would she have come? She was terribly ashamed of it, but she could keep no secrets from her mother. "No. I wouldn't have."

**Ω Ω Ω**

It was late that evening, and Newleaf was pacing in a circle, hating that she couldn't do more than she was already doing to help ShadowClan. All she could do was watch her birth Clan die, and it was so hard to do, she was thinking of taking off without a word. Running home, back to her private little forest. Visit the mountains. Catch mice with Ravenpaw and Barley. It sounded so much better than to stay here and watch the suffering, the death. Get away from this place of darkness and death and go back home where the sun shone and the forest was bursting with life.

What was she going to do with Darkwing? With Nightstar? Marshypool? Every cat in the Clan? She was trying to aid Runningnose all she could, but it didn't help that the medicine cat seemed to have given up on finding a cure. He was resigned to the Clan's dying. He'd accepted it, while she still wanted to fight, fight, _fight_. But she was no medicine cat, as she'd pointed out to Darkwing many times already. She could do next to nothing.

The small black-and-white she-cat decided that pacing the pine forest wouldn't help either, and it was time to get back to camp. So she turned toward the ShadowClan camp and raced back. A whiff of a familiar scent made her stop in her tracks. That scent… she would recognize even if she never saw its owner again.

And the scent made her very, _very_ delighted.

She followed the scent trail until she saw the undersized tabby, and she stalked up to him and pounced on him, purring. "Littlecloud!"

"N-Newleaf?!" Her brother was pleasantly surprised at seeing her. His amber eyes were wide. "You're back!" The brown tabby tom wriggled out of her grip and cuffed her ear. "It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise," she mewed, and they touched noses. "Where have you been?"

"ThunderClan," he confessed, a little guiltily. Then his amber eyes brightened again. "I'll tell you more about it later. But right now, we've got to get to camp!"

.

Littlecloud seemed deeply troubled by the emptiness of camp. The cats were all sick in their dens, or out trying to survive without catching the sickness. With Newleaf following, he made straight for the medicine den, where Runningnose was sitting, his eyes cloudy and a look of utter defeat on his face.

"Runningnose," the brown tabby breathed.

The medicine cat glanced up, a spark of interest in his eyes. "Littlecloud? I thought you'd abandoned the Clan."

"Why would I, if I'd already caught the sickness?" asked her brother.

"Many cats have abandoned the Clan," muttered Runningnose. "Death is everywhere. StarClan makes sure that we're not meant to survive. Only the strongest –if any."

"Not any longer," Littlecloud insisted, wriggling with excitement.

The medicine cat gazed at the brown tabby curiously. "What do you mean?"

At this point, Newleaf suspected what her brother was so excited about. And she was so, so proud of him for it.

"Runningnose," said the small tabby tom, amber eyes glimmering with hope. "I know the cure!"

**So. Exciting stuff. Littlecloud knows the cure. Newleaf doesn't need to be there at all, I guess. So I suppose she'll go home after this. Relax. Live. Die. **

**Totally. :D**

**ANONYMOUS: Thank you for the review, but it's _Veni, Vidi, Vici. _Or you could abbreviate it to VVV. I find that easier. :'D But yeah, I could say I'm pretty into that fic, too. This one I'm just trying to finish out of obligation and pure determination. IT DESERVES TO BE FINISHED, YEAH.**

**StarsAbove: Oh, I'm not the only one with stories that don't center around ThunderClan and/or the Three. You should read around -maybe there's actually something worth reading about TC or the Three! Honestly, I've read some pretty good TC-centered fics. Be a bit more open-minded. As for New/Dark... well, maybe it'll be New/Raven and Dark/Marshy. You never know. Thanks for the long review, and thanks for the comment about my name. It is rather fabulous. XD**

**Review?**

_**~Coqui**_


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